


What's up, Doc?

by Autumn_Froste



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Aww, F/M, Hulk - Freeform, Violence, ouchie, stolen Stark ammo, well that didn't go as planned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-02
Updated: 2016-03-02
Packaged: 2018-05-24 10:04:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6150047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Autumn_Froste/pseuds/Autumn_Froste
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While investigating a new HYDRA base, Natasha comes across something she wasn't expecting to see. Rescues of various kinds, Violence and Ouchies ensue</p><p> </p><p>Thanks to hjpngmw who helped and then I probably screwed up something by adding more to it. ;/ So if there's a boo boo, it's mine. Let me know so I can fix it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What's up, Doc?

“Tell me why you thought this was a good idea, again,” Natasha asked quietly from her spot hiding behind a tree.

 

“Nick always said this was how he caught up with you, so…,” Phil Coulson said over comms.

 

“Nick usually found a way to randomly show up in the middle of a gunfight, not break into my comm that I only put in my ear just to make Steve happy. If I don’t report back in two hours, they’re gonna make a great big mess coming to look for me. God forbid anyone be quiet anymore.”

 

Phil laughed, “Miss that about old SHIELD?”

 

“Old SHIELD wasn’t as quiet as I would have liked them to be most of the time either.” Nat quietly walked through the forest to get a better look at the HYDRA base. “There really doesn’t seem to be very many people here.” She pulled out her phone and turned on the scanner app. “I’m only showing twenty human bio signatures, sorry twenty-one. That’s a lot of gamma radiation for one person, hmm… Wait, What the hell? No, it can’t be. Oh, for fuck’s sake!” Natasha sighed as she looked at a prisoner being pushed toward a building.

 

“What is what,” Phil asked urgently.

 

“Banner. They’ve somehow captured Bruce Banner.” Nat looked around. The base was comprised mostly of tents. They only had a few buildings; all but one was under construction. The largest building had been completed. From the outside it looked like a three story box. “Well, this is gonna be like old days. Give Cap a sitrep. I have to get sneaky, so if I don’t answer…”

 

“Yeah, yeah. I remember. Don’t die on me. I’m not done playing catch up.”

 

Nat smiled, “I’ve lasted this long, why do you think I’m dying on you now? Widow out.”

 

Phil changed the communication frequencies to contact Steve, “Hey Cap. We have a problem…”

 

~*~*~

 

Nat sneaked from the treeline to where they parked the trucks. Three guards standing around smoking were in her direct path. She waited for one to walk off to take a ‘piss’ and gave him a bite on his back. She caught his body and lowered it quietly to the ground. She dragged the guard several paces into the wooded area, hiding him. She sneaked back around the truck and approached the other two guards whom she took out with ease. She zapped them both with her widow bites when they had their backs turned to her.   

 

“Okay, seventeen more,” Nat said quietly to herself. She scanned the large green tent the truck was parked next to; two body signs were in it. She peaked through the open flap on the tent to see in. Two men leaned over a table looking at maps. Nat threw two taser discs hitting the men, taking them out of commission for, hopefully, long enough to get Bruce out.

 

“Fifteen.” She walked inside to look around the tent. She saw schematics on the new Avengers facility and what she assumed were to be the buildings under construction on the table. She picked up her phone and took pictures of the schematics then she ran the readings to see where the warm bodies were. Most were around the entrance of the base. If the smell coming from that general direction was any indication, the small wooden building that had been set up next to the tents was where the kitchen was. It smelled like they were having roast.  

 

According to the gamma readings, Bruce had been taken inside the building much to her chagrin. “Well, shit.” The last place she wanted to be was inside of a building with a guy who could make it tumble down around her ears just by becoming his other form. She crept into the next tent, which contained munitions. Along with several thousand rounds of regular bullets, they had stolen Stark merchandise including some experimental explosive rounds that could be used in large caliber guns. They were designed such that, once they hit their target, they were supposed to explode, vaporizing the target. _Tony’s gonna be pissed about this._ She took pictures of the munitions and had the pictures upload immediately so the teams knew what they were getting into.

 

Since the majority of the base was occupied, the building where Bruce was being held was not as well guarded as it should have been. She made a mad dash to the building under the cover of darkness. She used the phone to scramble any security feeds. She set up a signal that took the previous ten minutes of blank space, non action film and wrote it over the feeds.Then, she walked in the front door. The Hydra operatives obviously were too cocky to believe anyone else knew about their base.

 

Nat made her way through the halls to Bruce. His jailers decided to go get dinner right at that time. She lifted his key card off of the nearest one as he walked by, too absorbed in his phone to realize what had happened.

 

Nat strolled up to Bruce’s cell, “So whatcha in for, Doc?”

 

His chocolate eyes lit up, “Where did you come from?”

 

“Originally or just now,” she asked as she used the guard’s keycard to open the door. He walked out of the cell and strolled up to her. She checked her phone again, “All clear, ready to go?”

 

“One thing first,” he said. He leaned down and kissed her. She paused in her movements, caught off guard by his passionate kiss. Moments in, her lips softened and she kissed him back with all the ferocity he was kissing her.

 

Puzzled, Nat looked up at Bruce as he drew back, “What was that for?”

 

He shrugged, “I thought I’d run with it.”

 

She grinned at him, green eyes sparkling, “I’m glad you learned something while you’ve been gone.” She scanned for bio signatures again. “Okay, here’s the deal. There’re about five people between us and the door. Unless you want two stories of the building to fall on us, please don’t turn green until we get outside.”

 

“I won’t.”

 

“So, why did they have you anyway?”

 

“They figured out I was a scientist, and they wanted me to make them weapons.”

 

“Really? And you let them capture you?”

 

“There were a lot of people around, and I didn’t want anyone to get hurt. I thought once we got to their secret base, and I found out their plans, I’d just wreak havoc. These guys aren’t very smart.”

 

“I’ve noticed,” Nat said. They turned down a twisting hallway and walked about halfway down it before Nat whispered, “You stay here, I’m gonna go take care of a problem up there,” Bruce nodded. She took her phone back out to see how they were standing. She handed her phone to Bruce. “If something happens, use this to get out of here.” The first two guys were leaning against the wall while the third was showing them a video on his phone. The fourth and fifth guys were about five feet further down the hallway. Nat took a running leap off one wall to jump and kick one guard while using the momentum to punch the other guard, knocking his head into the wall. The third guard almost had time to pull his gun out of his holster before Nat hit his elbow, shoving his arm down and forcing the gun back into the holster into the locking position. The guard cried out in pain alerting guards four and five who came running. Nat stepped on his leg, using it to vault off of and onto the wall across from him giving her time to unholster her electroshock wands with which she hit the remaining three guards multiple times on their way to the floor.

 

“Ten.”

 

Bruce came around the corner, “I forgot how hot you were when you did that.”

Nat laughed and shook her head, “How’s it looking?”

 

“There’re two guards standing by the door, take them out, and we’ll be out of here.”

 

“Sounds delightful.”

 

Nat walked straight out of the door and just used her baton on each guard, shocking and smacking both of them upside their heads. “Eight,” Nat looked around outside trying to see if she was missing something. “This is far too easy,” Nat said as they dragged both the guards inside the building and into an office. “This is either the biggest trap ever, of all time, or these are the most incompetent fools to ever try villainy. All right, you ready to do this?”

 

Bruce leaned over and kissed her quickly but gently, “Now I am,” he said blushing slightly. “What’s the plan?”

 

“We want to sneak out of here. Backup should be coming any time now. Once they get here, I was gonna leave them to it while we found us somewhere alone and caught up.”

 

“I like that plan, especially the alone part.”

 

“Maybe you should have gone away before. You seem to like me way better now.”

 

“I was actually on my way back to you,” he said bashfully. “The ‘Other Guy’ missed you.

 

“I missed him, too.” She reached out and squeezed his hand. “Okay, see that tent right there?” Bruce nodded. “Run like hell toward it. I’ll be right behind you.”

 

They dashed in between all the tents and almost all the way to the trucks when Nat felt the hairs on the back of her neck raise. She shoved Bruce to the ground and felt him become Hulk at the same time, the transformation was flawless. She felt the pain in her lower back, her shoulder, and her thigh from the bullets as soon as Hulk slid out from under her. She reached behind her and felt the bullet hole and knew. It was Tony’s special bullet. She couldn’t move. it was a miracle it hadn’t detonated. She could only hope it was a dud. Hulk reached down to move her and she shouted, “No! You can’t move me Big Guy. Special bullet.” She inhaled slowly, “If you move me it could explode.” Hulk’s eyes grew big with fear. She looked up and smiled weakly, “Go take care of them. I’ll wait here.” _Shit, this hurts like a sonnabitch._

 

Hulk picked up a truck and set it on its side to block any more bullets coming toward Nat. He threw a tree at the men who were just now realizing what they had released. She smirked as she slowly laid her head on her arm. _This sucks so much._ He picked up the other trucks and made a box around her, protecting her as best he could while he took care of business.

 

“Nat, talk to me. There’s been a spike in your heart rate,” a voice came to life in her ear, “What’s going on?”

 

“Phil, get me Tony. Tell him I found those missing rounds, and one is undetonated in my shoulder. He has to come get it out. Hulk is taking out the trash.”

 

“Will do. Hang in there. The guys are on the way.”

 

“Okay. I’m gonna take a little nap.”

 

“NO! Nat!”

 

He could hear Nat’s breathing was laboured. He got a small team of agents, including Bobbi Morse on a QuinJet as soon as he could. When they arrived, Hulk was still protecting Nat. Most of the HYDRA agents that were left had run into the building and locked themselves in. Phil could see Nat had acquired a shock blanket and a pillow.

 

Phil walked cautiously up to Hulk with both of his hands in the air so he could see them, “How’s Nat doing Big Guy?”

 

“Tasha hurt. Tony went to get supplies.”

 

“Can Bobbi look at her, please,” Phil asked as he turned towards Bobbi. “She’s her friend and a doctor. Maybe she can help.” The Hulk didn’t seem to like the idea. He snorted and paced. “I promise Bobbi won’t hurt Natasha.” Phil held his hand out to shake.

 

Bobbi stepped forward, “Please? Tasha’s my friend and I want to make sure she’s okay.”

 

The Hulk nodded and shook Phil’s hand, his green one dwarfing Phil’s. “Thanks, Big Guy.” Bobbi immediately ran towards Nat. She found a way over the top of the sideways truck and bounded down to her friend.

 

“Bad men in there.” Hulk pointed to the building.

 

Phil nodded, “We’ll take care of them. May, if you will.” May’s team headed toward the building.

 

The Avenjet landed a few minutes later. Tony and Steve hauled a few boxes of equipment off. Hulk moved the truck over a few more feet so they could get to Nat more easily. He walked over and gently sat down next to her and petted her hair with one large finger. She smiled feebly up at him. He held a bottle of water for her so she could drink it with a straw. She would have laughed at how ridiculous must have looked at any other time. She held her hand out to his wrist. The next thing they knew he popped back down to Banner. Bobbi startled back a little and blinked. Tony threw a pair of pants at him without even looking up from the machine he was using to scan Nat’s injuries. Bruce turned his back and walked into the corner, not out of Nat’s eyesight, and changed into his new pair of pants.

 

Bobbi leaned over and whispered to Nat, “Damn girl, I know what you see in him.”

 

Nat chuckled, “Yeah, dat ass. I have to admit, no matter how many times I see him naked, it never gets old.”

 

Bruce walked back over to the group, “Are you talking about me?”

 

“Just how big your... heart is,” Nat smiled, looking up at him.   

 

“You’re ridiculous,” he smiled bashfully.

 

“You should have heard all the other crap Bobbi’s told me to keep me awake. She resorted to telling me stories about when she and Clint were married. I already knew Clint’s side of these stories, but Bobbi’s are way funnier.”

 

“How’s that working out for him?”

 

“три.”

 

“Seriously,” Bobbi asked surprised.

 

“Yup.”

 

“Do they know about…,” Bobbi trailed off.

 

“Robin and his eggs,” Tony interjected. “Yeah. Got that nice surprise during Ultron. How is it out of everyone, he’s the most settled?” He leaned over Tasha’s back to check on her wound.

 

Natasha smiled, “You sound jealous.”

 

“Not jealous, just shocked. How are the hatchlings?”

 

“Fine. Rambunctious as always.”

 

Bobbi laughed, “Well, I’ll say it’s working out. So Cooper was the C, Lila the L. What’d they do with the third one?”

 

Bruce glanced up at Bobbi, “N.”

 

“Oh God! They named the poor kid after you,” Bobbi asked.

 

“Shut up,” Nat winced as Tony lightly poked the area around the bullet wound.

 

“Boy or girl?”

 

“Boy.”

 

“What’s his name?”

 

“Nathaniel Pietro. He was supposed to be a girl, the little traitor. Pietro is after the kid that saved Clint’s life in Sokovia. His sister Wanda is an Avenger. Nice girl. Her powers will fuck with your head though. Not fun being on the other side of that.”

 

“We should introduce her to Daisy, then.”

 

“They’d probably really like each other. Good plan, Bobbi.”

 

“I’m full of them.”

 

“You’re full of something. When did you start seeing Hunter, again?”

 

Bobbi stared at her, “How did you know? How do you always know?”

 

Bobbi looked at Bruce “I don’t know why I bother to try keeping secrets from this one, she figures them out."

 

Bruce smiled, "It’s like dealing with a scary Sherlock.”

 

Bobbi laughed. “That’s why she was one of our top interrogators.”

 

“Did she just call me Mycroft?” Natasha asked offendedly. “I am not a fat man who likes to walk around naked.”

 

“Nat,” Bobbi began, “I was your roommate, you walk around naked.”

 

“Cause you don’t,” Nat returned. Tony paused what he was doing and looked at Bruce who simply shrugged.  

 

“If anyone’s Sherlock, it’s Tony,” Bruce snickered.

 

“Ow! Don’t make me laugh! Some asshole designed this really big ammo that I’m pretty sure I should be dead from but I’m not yet for some reason.”

 

Tony snorted, “It’s because you’re too stubborn to die, I promise.” Tony ran a wand-like  instrument over Natasha’s shoulder. “Why am I Sherlock? I mean, I see the positives, like his intelligence and good looks, but I mean really.”

 

Bruce and Nat stared at each other. “Didn’t you read the file for the Avengers Initiative,” Natasha asked.

 

Tony made some calibrations on the machine, “Why don’t you tell Dr. Watson there what I have in common with Sherlock, dear Mycroft.”

 

Natasha took an unsteady breath, “He’s arrogant, abrasive, callous, and neglectful even of the feelings of those who truly matter to him, but when you really need him, he’s always there for you.”

 

“Damn right, I am. We’re gonna get you all fixed up, good as new. You’ll be back to kicking Happy’s ass in the boxing ring in no time,” Tony said.

 

I could smell his cologne on you. He’s the only one I’ve ever known to wear that brand, so,” Nat paused and swallowed loudly, “I put two and two together.”

 

Tony gently put his hand on Bobbi’s shoulder and crooked his neck toward the opening where Coulson was standing at.

 

“Hey, I’m getting the evil eye from Phil. I’m gonna go check in with him and I’ll be right back,” Bobbi said.

 

“Yeah, yeah. Go talk about me.”

 

Bruce laid his head down next to Nat so he could look in her eyes. “So... When were you gonna tell me you had two other bullet wounds?”

 

“I was kinda hoping you weren’t going to notice that.”

 

“Tasha.” Bruce sighed, “You’re in shock, but you’re not and I didn’t think that was possible. Coulson seemed pretty adamant that Bobbi look you over, you want to tell me why?” He brushed her hair that had fallen across her forehead off of her face. He grabbed the towel sitting on top of Bobbi’s medical bag and wiped the sweat off her face.

 

“I have the Russian version of the serum. We agreed not to advertise it, so very few people know. Bobbi knows because she was there when Clint brought me in. I agreed to her and only her to run tests on me because Clint vouched for her.” Suddenly Nat chuckled, “I’m actually older than you.”

 

Bruce shook his head, “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

 

“I never got hurt bad enough to need you. I was going to explain it then, but I never knew how to bring it up. And you were scared enough of me; I didn’t want to make it worse.”

 

Bruce grabbed her hand, “Natasha, I was never scared of you; I was scared of what could happen to you. Then, I started falling in love with you and I dealt with it the only way I knew how. I ran. It was stupid and I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I hope I can spend the rest of my life making it up to you.”

 

She smiled broadly, “You just did.”

  


~*~

 

“Okay, what’s going on,” Phil asked urgently. “May’s already threatened my life if I walked over any where near where that bullet could explode, so someone better give me a sitrep and do it now.”

 

Bobbi held up her tablet to show Phil, “She has two other GSWs along with the explosive round in her back. I’ve stopped the bleeding on them, but I don’t know for how long. The one in her thigh needs stitches, but I don’t want to encourage it to close so quickly with the bullet still lodged in there. I also don’t want to go digging around and make her jerk possibly rearming the bullet. The second GSW I’m pretty sure is a through and through in about the same place Winter Soldier shot her the first time. I have encouraged that one to close by spraying the emergency foam on it and bandaging it as well as I could given the circumstances. As for the Stark bullet, that’s another story altogether.” Bobbi sighed.

 

Steve looked from her to Tony, “What’s the problem?”

 

Tony sighed loudly as he ran his hand over his face, paced for a moment and turned back to the rest of them, “I don’t know why it didn’t go off. From the outside, I can’t see any reason for it not to have. That being said, I don’t know what will happen once we start trying to remove it. It’s literally removing a bomb from a live person.”

 

“Okay, so we insulate her as best we can and hope for the best,” Steve said.

 

It was Bobbi’s turn to sigh, “Captain Rogers, it’s not that simple.”

 

Steve snorted, “It never is.” Coulson tipped his head in agreement.

 

Bobbi took her tablet back out to show them the location of the bullet, “The projectile is located in her back, in an angle that if it goes off, it’s on almost a direct path to her heart. There’s nothing we can do if that happens. I don’t think all the serum in the world will matter.”

 

Phil looked at Bobbi, “T.A.H.I.T.I.?”

 

Bobbi asked gently, “Would you really want to put her through that?” Phil looked uncertain.

 

Tony spoke up, “Agent, I designed these as bullets to use in special situations when the military were stuck somewhere and had to fight their way out, like in a firefight against a tank. After I saw what their potential was first hand, I put an end to the production line. You know what happened when I got back from Afghanistan, you were there for some of it. If this goes off, it’s going to kill her and probably anyone else around her. Phil, there won’t be enough of her left for T.A.H.I.T.I.” Tony’s eyes glazed over in a way Phil knew how serious this was.

 

“There’s more,” Bobbi said.

 

“Fuck,” Coulson exclaimed. “What else?”

 

“If we give her a sedative of any kind it could make her muscles relax and set off the bullet. We have to keep her in pain and tensed up. It's not like it’ll matter. She’ll burn through it so fast anyway. On top of that, her skin is healing around the bullet. To remove it, she’s going to have to lie perfectly still while someone cuts the area around the bullet hole open enough to remove it, before they grab it and pull it out.”

 

“I know that Nat can take a lot of punishment, but that’s a ridiculous amount even for her,” Steve said.

 

Bobbi looked up at Phil, “Who’s telling Clint? He’s going to want to know his best friend may not make it and he’s going to want to say goodbye! Who’s telling him?”

 

Steve took a deep breath, “I’ll call him.”

 

~*~

 

“He’s on his way with Wanda. She thinks she may be able to pull the bullet out from a distance,” Steve said a few minutes later. “Next order of business, what about Banner?”

 

Tony looked at Steve, “What about him?”

 

“He can’t just stay in there while--.”

 

“He can and he will,” Tony interrupted. “They just found each other again. If anyone, he’ll be able to handle the blast if it goes off. He might turn into the Hulk, but God damn it, he should be able to do that! He just got her back. Did you know he was on the way back to her when he got captured? He finally figured out everything. He’s the only one who’ll be able to hold her hand while Wanda is literally tearing one of _my_ bullets out of her. Natasha deserves that! She deserves to have someone be there for her when she’s been there for the rest of us so many fucking times, Steve! So you are not gonna say one God damned word about Bruce being there with her, do you hear me?”

 

Steve nodded in agreement. He’d spent so much time mad at Bruce for not being there for Nat. This was Bruce’s redemption.

 

~*~   

 

Tony’s heavier armor arrived via FRIDAY. He was going to hold Nat down to ensure she didn’t move while Wanda pulled the bullet out.

 

Clint walked over to Nat and sat down next to her and Bruce, “If you’d just said you wanted attention, I could have just told Laura I had best friend business. Instead I have to come here and deal with you being a drama queen. You damn well know I’m the drama queen out of this relationship.”

 

Nat smiled weakly, “I thought I’d take my turn.”

 

“Laura insists you come recover at the house. She said we could turn her office into a recovery room so you wouldn’t have to climb the stairs and since I just put in a new bombastic shower downstairs, that would be all yours. Completely toy free. The kids swear they’ll only bug you when you’re awake.”

 

“Tony and Wanda’re probably gonna need it more than I will. I do not promise I will not scream.”

 

“I remember our days of getting tortured together fondly.”

 

“I’m sure you do,” Nat said doubtfully.

 

“If I had to be tortured with anyone, I’m glad it was you. At least you were entertaining.”

 

Nat smiled, “Those bastards weren’t getting anything from me.”

 

“And they never did.”

 

“Clint?”

 

“Thanks.”

 

“For what?”

 

Nat teared up for the first time, “For everything.”

 

“I love you. Now, you better get out of this so you can help me teach Cooper how to dance. He asked that Emily girl to the dance and she said yes. Laura’s got two left feet, it’s impossible.”

 

Nat laughed, “If I can teach Steve, I can teach anybody.”

 

“Shudyup Romanoff,” the Brooklyn accent was thickly coming out of Steve’s mouth.

 

“It’s true,” she smiled.

 

“That’s not the point. You’re s’posed to be kind to your elders.”

 

“Steve. Seriously? You’re like ten years older than me. Shush.”

 

“I want my partner back. Heal fast.”

 

“Make the line move faster, so we can do this then,” she smirked at him. Bobbi walked around him.

 

“Okay, I’m here to make an incision to get this bad boy out. Then I’m going to put at least two maybe four clamps in. It depends on how it looks. I’m sorry,” Bobbi grimaced.

 

Nat laughed then blanched, “This is just like old times, you getting me out of my clothes…” Bobbi smiled as she cut Nat’s uniform away so the wound would be easier to get to.

 

Bobbi giggled, “We’ve had some fun times, haven’t we?”

 

“A blast. Wouldn’t change it for the world.”

 

Bobbi dabbed an alcohol wipe over her skin, “You ready?

 

“Yup. Piece of cake.”

 

“Doctor Banner you may want to grab her arms to steady her a wee bit.”

 

“Wee? Are you living together, too?”

 

Bobbi sighed and looked into Bruce’s eyes, “She’s going to be okay.” She made an ‘X’ incision over the bullet wound as deep as she dared. Nat didn’t say a word, during the cut, she just breathed shallowly. As soon as she finished with the incision she put the clamps in place just like she said she was.

 

“You didn’t… Answer… My question,” Nat breathed.

 

“We live on the same base, in the same quarters, you crazy bitch,” Bobbi smiled.

 

“Wee? Geez.”

 

“Fuck off, Natasha,” Bobbi said as she stepped over her. Nat looked up and gave her the biggest grin she could muster. “She’s all yours, Doctor Banner,” Bobbi said shaking her head.

 

He smiled back, “I certainly hope, so.” He looked into Natasha’s eyes, “You ready for this?”

 

“Waiting on everybody else. I really want to scratch my back.”

 

“I can’t decide if you’re joking or not.”

 

“Superhealing is _really_ itchy,” she said.

 

Bruce laughed, “I love you.”

 

“I love you, too.”

 

Tony walked over to them with Wanda, “Okay Lovespiders. You ready for this?” Wanda gave her a small smile.

 

“Wanda,” Nat said, “If this doesn’t work, it’s okay.”

 

“I will do what you always tell me, Natasha, I will do my best, then some,” Wanda’s Sokovian accent lightly highlighted the words.

 

“That’s all I ask,” Nat replied. Wanda walked over to where she was going to stand at during this game of Operation. “Bruce,” Nat said quietly, “Don’t turn green, unless I explode, then it’s okay. But don’t blame Wanda or Tony. They did their best. Now I expect you to do yours.”

 

Bruce smiled that deprecating smile, “Yes, Ma’am.” He leaned down and kissed her.

 

“Okay kids, I’ve checked and double checked, the rest is up to Fate.”

 

“Tony,” Nat waited until he looked her in the eyes, “I’m very lucky to call you my friend.”

 

Tony smiled, “Me, too, Red.”

 

“Now, can we get this show on the road before I say anything else mushy?  

 

Tony laughed, “If that’s what the lady wants.” He lowered his mask and put his weight on her hips, bracing his knees on either side of her ribs. His feet sat on the outside of her thighs. He put his hands on her upper arms. “I’m sorry if I’m touching another wound. We thought this would be the best way to hold you.”

 

Natasha gritted her teeth, “Can we just hurry this up, please?” Tony’s foot was right against one of her GSWs and where he was sitting at was putting pressure on her other one. She wasn’t really that thrilled about either of these. She knew in a few moments she was going to be even less thrilled.  

 

“Okay Wanda,” Tony said.

 

Nat felt something on the inside of her body, like a presence around the bullet. Her body had already begun healing around the bullet and had just accepted its presence as part of her body. The sensation around the bullet was warm and it felt like tendrils wrapped around it. Nat felt her breathing increase. Suddenly she felt a white hot pain from the bullet being torn from inside of her body. She heard a loud noise but couldn’t place the sound. It was becoming difficult to think. difficult to breathe. Suddenly the pain slowed and she felt her eyes closing. She heard her name being called but she couldn’t respond, she didn’t have the energy.   

 

~*~

Three Days Later…

 

Nat woke up with her entire body hurting. She slowly opened her eyes. Bruce was asleep in the chair across the room. Tony was standing right beside the bed. She whispered, “You wouldn’t want to crank up the morphine, would you?”

 

Tony laughed and turned the dial a few notches, “Better?”

 

Her eyes drooped a little before opening back up, “Wa-- water.” He grabbed a cup with a straw and brought it to her lips. She took a couple of sips.

 

“Bruce,” Tony said loudly.

 

Bruce hurriedly got up, “Hey.” He sat down next to her knees and grabbed her hand.

 

“Hey,” Nat said quietly.

 

Clint, Phil, Bobbi, and Laura filed into the room.

 

“You are never allowed to do that again,” Bobbi said. “I hate cutting on you when you’re awake.”

 

“So you hate cutting on me?”

 

“Fuck. Off,” Bobbi grinned.

  
  
Clint sat on the other side of her knees, “No, you are never allowed to do that again. Laura dropped the kids at her parents and came to check on me more than you. I told you; I am the only one allowed to be a drama queen. That is not in your friend description. Yours is stoic and mean.”

 

Nat looked at Laura, “Was he that bad?”

 

“Worse. You know how he is when you’re hurt. But I agree, never again. That was horrible.” Laura leaned down and kissed Nat on the forehead. “You’re my sister, you’re supposed to keep _him_ out of trouble. Can I get you anything?”

 

“As soon as I can stay awake for more than twenty minutes I want a Laura special.”

 

“I can do that.” Laura smoothed her hair behind her ear, “I mean it, never again.”

 

Bobbi, Laura, and Clint walked out the door. “That’s funny.”

 

“What, Red,” Tony asked.

 

“Clint, his wife and his ex-wife.”

 

“Really?”

 

Nat had her eyes closed but still answered, “Laura and Bobbi like each other, Tony. They’re just so different, but not.”

 

It was Phil’s turn to sit on the bed, “Nat, no more getting shot. You make me lose hair every time you do.”

 

“No promises,” Nat exhaled slowly. “You get what you needed?”

 

“You did good, kid. We got lots of info.”

 

Nat smiled, “You call me kid, yet I’m way older than you.”

 

“Yeah, well not all of us age as gracefully as you and Cap. Get some sleep. I’ll try and keep everybody out.” Phil looked up at Bruce, “I assume you’re gonna stay with her?”

 

“I wouldn’t leave her for anything,” he answered.

 

Phil nodded, “All right. Let me know if you need anything.”

 

Nat had her eyes closed, “I expect a Phil special when I get out of here.”

 

Phil smiled broadly, “Deal.”

 

Tony checked the machines over again, “Okay Natasha, I leave you in good hands.” He and Phil walked out together. “What’s a Phil special?”

 

Bruce smiled, “Alone at last.”

 

Nat slid over as much as she could. Tony had bought bigger hospital style beds since most of the Avengers were bigger than the normal sized person, with the extra muscles. Nat was a small person to begin with, she looked extra small in the bigger size bed.

 

“Grab your blanket and pillow and get your ass over here, I’ve been dying to snuggle with you since I woke up.”

 

“Are you sure,” Bruce asked uncertainly. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

 

“Bruce, I’ve wanted to feel you next to me since before you left. I’m not wasting any more time. Move it.” He smiled and did as she asked. He crawled carefully into the bed making sure not to hurt her. Once he got settled and raised the bedrail to make sure he wouldn’t fall out, she put her head on his chest and breathed in his scent. “Bruce?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“I love you.”

  
“I love you, too.” He squeezed her as tightly as he dared. He heard the ‘Other Guy’ purr happily as he drifted off with her in his arms.


End file.
